The Australian Immigration Book

Tasmania's isolation from the rest of the world used to be seen as a curse - now it is a blessing - as the growing influx of business and skilled migrants will attest, Australia's Island State offers a quality of life that has almost disappeared in the modern world.

Tasmania lies off the South East Coast of the Australian mainland between 43 and 40 degrees South (around the same latitude as Madrid in Spain or Bordeaux in France). Approximately the size of Ireland or Sri Lanka, the State has a varied climate and topography, ranging from the high rainfall mountains and forests in the west, to the warm, dry conditions on the East Coast. As the English novelist Anthony Trollope put it "...the climate of Tasmania is by far pleasanter than that of any part of the mainland [Australia]." Unlike much of continental Australia, Tasmania experiences four distinct seasons - average temperatures in the capital Hobart range from 12 to 22 degrees celsius in summer and 5 to 12 degrees celsius in winter.

Overcrowding (and all the problems it brings) is definitely not a problem with the State's population of 475,000 evenly dispersed around the Island. Nestled between a mountain range and deep harbour, the capital Hobart resembles a mini Vancouver, without the traffic jams, pollution, crime, stress and high priced real estate of larger cities.

"Behind historic Hobart is a compact, sophisticated, modern city with shopping malls, high-rise buildings, a Gay Information Service, sixty-two consulting psychologists, and mercifully few traffic jams - but tranquil Old Hobart is, in its own right, enough therapy for urban stress." Murray Sayles, Conde Naste Traveler, August 2001 - 'Urban Therapy'.

Apart from lifestyle and natural beauty, one of Tasmania's big drawcards is the quality, range and affordability of urban and rural real estate. Although prices have recently risen in many areas, new arrivals can still find a bargain - often with water views, a large landholding and access to wilderness that surrounds many urban centres. Despite the real estate boom, Hobart still offers the cheapest capital city housing in Australia.

Launceston, with its graceful, well preserved Victorian architecture and green parks, is the State's second largest city and an important commercial centre deriving its wealth from wool, wine, agriculture, niche manufacturing and resource processing at the nearby Bell Bay industrial site. The city of 80,000 boasts two of Australia's best restaurants and (according to many connoisseurs) Australia's best beer.

In the fertile North-West, Burnie's thriving dairy processors and specialised manufacturers now complement the traditional port, pulp and paper industries. Nearby Devonport capitalises on its position as the gateway to Tasmania for tourists arriving by fast ferry from Melbourne.

Tasmania's economic outlook is the brightest in 20 years fuelled by a number of large infrastructure projects, a surge in private investment, and strong growth in sectors in which the State enjoys strong comparative advantages - food and beverage production, specialised manufacturing, high value agriculture, tourism and forestry.

The manufacturing sector is export-oriented and includes world competitive businesses in fast ferries, paper production, maritime safety systems, timber processing, automotive components, mining equipment, lightning protection, aquaculture equipment and fine food and beverages. Growth sectors include marine engineering, communications technology, wood processing and naturally derived chemicals. Two major industrial zones with excellent power supplies and port access, have been established at Bell Bay in the North East and Port Latta on the North West.

Tasmania's tourism sector is booming and the island is winning praise from travel writers all over the world - ranked third in Travel and Leisure's top 100 travel destinations for 2001 and named (by Conde Nast Traveller) the world's top temperate island for two years running. Tasmania offers travellers a safe, affordable, rejuvenating holiday experience in one of the most unique and unspoilt locations in the world. Andrew Davies, writing in The Guardian in late 2001, thought that, 'no area in Australia has more scenic beauty, more pastoral pleasure packed into it, than the place they call the Natural State.' Over 575,000 visitors a year (many from the growing cruise ship market) are experiencing the State's World Heritage wilderness, gourmet food and wine, world class sailing and fly-fishing, welcoming locals and cultural attractions. This fast growing sector offers rewarding investments with a lifestyle to match. Opportunities for business people range from investment in major infrastructure to operating one of many boutique bed and breakfast establishments.

Tasmania is fast becoming Australia's most dynamic food producer as gourmet food grown in the State's unpolluted, disease free soils and waters is snapped up by discerning interstate and overseas buyers. The State is one of the few places able to supply fresh, temperate zone produce out-of-season to the Northern Hemisphere and high quality vegetables, fruit, dairy products, seafood and meat are significant exports (nearly $470 million in 2001/2002).

From almost nothing 20 years ago, the Tasmanian wine industry has surged ahead producing genuine cool climate wines whose quality approaches that of Burgundy's finest - at a fraction of the cost. The dairy industry is a similar story and Tasmanian cheeses are now winning awards all over the world. While traditional products such as lamb, beef, hops, apples, onions, potatoes and milk remain important, innovative farmers and offshore investors are also moving into high value niche products such as Japanese strawberries, olives, herbs, cherries, apricots, game meat, walnuts, wasabi, truffles, essential oils, buckwheat and saffron.

Tasmania's unspoilt coastline, cool water and strict bio-security guarantee high quality, high value seafood (seafood exports in 2001/2002 totalled $175 million). As the export of traditional products (salmon, oysters and mussels) and the potential of new areas (abalone and rock lobster) increases, aquaculture is supplementing the wild fisheries share of revenue and export earnings. The sector's rapid growth and emphasis on self reliance has fostered the growth of local firms specialising in the production and export of salmon cages, netting, computerised feeding equipment and other hardware.

Tasmania has been recognised in recent years as an extremely competitive site for the location of large-scale telephone call centres - with over 3,000 jobs created in a few years. Low set-up costs and sophisticated communication infrastructure have also led to growth in software development and other technology-based businesses. The Tasmanian and Australian governments have established the $40 million Intelligent Island program to create ideal conditions for the growth of technology-based businesses.

In the year to March 2003, the value of overseas merchandise exports from Tasmania rose by 7.3 per cent from the previous year to $2.526 billion - the best result of all Australia's States and Territories.

International companies operating in Tasmania include: Comalco, Norske Skog, Caterpillar, Duke Energy, Cadbury Schweppes, Kokan Mining, Hokushin, Pasminco, San Miguel, Johnson and Johnson, Glaxo Welcome, National Grid, Eckart, Bongrain, McCains, Simplot, BHP-Billiton, Sterlite, and Vodafone.

The State's education system is a mixture of public and private education providers offering a wide range of courses and teaching styles. Tasmania has one of the world's highest proportions of schoolteachers with postgraduate qualifications and Students can choose from well over 100 subjects in their final school years. All schools are computer-networked. The University of Tasmania, with campuses in Hobart, Launceston and Burnie, is one of Australia's oldest and most respected tertiary institutions offering a wide range of disciplines to its student population of about 12,000. Specialised further education is also available through the Australian Maritime College and the TAFE system.

Tasmania is well served by its transport infrastructure with an excellent road network linking all major centres, two high-speed passenger/car ferries and over 480 flights in and out of the State each week. At present, power needs are supplied by an extensive, non-polluting hydroelectric system which will soon be augmented by wind turbine and piped natural gas infrastructure valued at over $1 billion and currently under construction.

In recent years Business migrants from all over the world have settled in Tasmania to exploit a growing range of commercial opportunities including dairying, shellfish aquaculture (oysters and abalone), crop farming, specialised engineering and metal fabrication, eco tourism, restaurants and cafes, hotels, stonefruit orchards, wildlife parks, smallgoods and game meats, cut flowers, e-commerce and seafood processing - just to name a few.

Tasmania welcomes entrepreneurs and under current immigration regulations the State Government can and will sponsor business people who wish to settle in Tasmania and can submit a well-researched business proposal.

Like many developed communities, Tasmania is experiencing skills shortages in a number of key trades and professions such as nurses, secondary teachers, accountants, dentists, physiotherapists and chefs. Skilled migrants with occupations in demand who would like to settle with their families in Tasmania are invited to apply for State nomination under the STNI skilled visa scheme. STNI visa applicants do not have to pass DIMIA's points test and do not have to be sponsored by an employer.

For further information on sponsorship for business migrants and details on the STNI scheme (including a full list of skills in demand) see the contact details below.

The Department of Economic Development appreciates the difficulties associated with relocating and tailors its assistance to meet the different needs of individual migrants and their families. We offer help in the following areas:
< preliminary business research and assistance organising itineraries for visitors;
< introduction to key contacts in the government and business sector;
< information on and assistance accessing Government business facilitation and export assistance programs;
< advice on Australian immigration regulations; and
< sponsorship/nomination through Australian regional migration programs

For more information contact:
The Business Migration Manager
Investment, Trade and Development Department of Economic Development
22 Elizabeth Street, Hobart, 7000 Tasmania, Australia
Phone: + 61 3 6233 5888
Fax: + 61 3 6233 5800
Email: migration@development.tas.gov.au
Website: www.development.tas.gov.au